To curb confusion, city plans to close Serpentine Dr. to cars

The City of Pittsburgh plans to restrict vehicles on Serpentine Drive in Schenley Park by the end of the summer and acknowledges that its current set-up, which allows one-way traffic for vehicles, “has led to some confusion.”

In 2019, a crash from a large truck destroyed a wall on Serpentine Dr., which led to the city closing it to vehicles until 2021, as summarized by BikePGH, a nonprofit advocacy group encouraging less car usage. Through February, the City held a two-month public comment period for a Department of Mobility and Infrastructure proposal to restrict vehicles on Serpentine Dr. in Schenley Park.

This time gap has left some residents and advocates confused about next steps, but the City tells Pittsburgh City Paper that traffic for vehicles will be restricted before the end of the summer. This will then be followed up by “some aesthetic updates during the wall reconstruction phase, likely next year,” according to City press secretary Olga George.

Since it reopened to vehicle traffic, the road through the park has allowed two-way traffic for those walking and riding bicycles but only one-way traffic for those in cars.

“This has led to some confusion because the narrow (one-way, downhill) travel lane does not seem like it is open to vehicles to some unsuspecting pedestrians,” George writes. “However, we have not had any crashes or other incidents with the current configuration.”

This comes as welcome news to District 5 City Councilmember Barb Warwick, who, encouraged by complaints from constituents, has long pushed for changes to Serpentine Dr. She first became alert to the issue when knocking doors in that area for her first campaign, she says.

“Sometimes cars will go the wrong way up, which is dangerous because there are people walking and biking down, and I think it just leads to people being hesitant to use it at all for anything,” Warwick says.

Still, Eric Boerer, the advocacy director for BikePGH, says Serpentine Dr. has long proved popular.

“If you go over there, there’s always lots of people walking up and down, and we need spaces like that in our park system where people can feel comfortable just enjoying the park without feeling like they might get hit by a car,” Boerer says.

Derek Krissoff, a nearby resident who works in publishing, says he often hangs out at Serpentine Dr., and the car traffic makes him feel unsafe and concerned for his neighbors. Signage is unclear and he has seen cars flying by in the wrong direction, he says.

“Routinely, cars don’t know what’s going on,” Krissoff says.

The way Krissoff puts it, getting rid of cars on Serpentine Dr. in Schenley Park is just common sense.

“I’m not a zealot about it,” Krissoff says. “I’m in my 50s, I’m not an anti-car activist, I don’t even own a bicycle. I’m a pretty norm-core guy. I just want to be able to walk in public spaces without worrying that I’m gonna get hit by a car.”